Coco

[DisneyDude2010]

This sounds like a GREAT Idea for a movie! I just hope the story doesn't feel to much like The Nightmare Before Christmas.

These traditional models from Day of the Dead look all like something Tim Burton would make.

[Sotiris]

Pixar's 'Día de los Muertos' Movie a Nod to Mexican Audiences
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/ ... movie.html

Pixar's "Toy Story 3" is the highest-grossing movie of all time in Mexico, where the animated adventure tale of children's toys Woody and Buzz Lightyear collected $59 million at the box office in 2010, more than megahits like "Avatar" and the "Harry Potter" finale.

The follow-up from "Toy Story 3" director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla K. Anderson is also likely to have strong appeal with Mexican audiences -- and to boast more authentically Latino characters than a Spanish-speaking Buzz Lightyear doll.

The duo's next movie is a still-untitled project about Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday of the dead, which Disney and Pixar first announced at CinemaCon last month.

Pixar hasn't said how the idea of a Día de los Muertos movie came about, nor have they released any details about its plot or characters.

"Pixar movies do extremely well in Mexico," Unkrich said in mid-May, as he was waiting to offer notes to the filmmakers of the studio's next movie, "Brave," at a screening at the Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. "This will allow us to explore a really fascinating aspect of the culture there."

Unkrich said he had begun taking trips to Mexico to research the Nov. 1 holiday, best known by many in the U.S. for its proximity to Halloween and use of skull and marigold iconography.

On the Day of the Dead, which has its roots in indigenous Aztec culture, families in Mexico and many Latin American countries pay tribute to deceased loved ones by creating graveside altars with treats like candy and bottles of Coca-Cola, and donning elaborate skull masks and costumes for processionals.

"This is a very different view of death than the American one," said Unkrich. "It's not spooky. It's celebratory."

Unkrich's project wouldn't be the first time Pixar has delved into the subject of mortality -- the killing of Nemo's mom sets the story of "Finding Nemo" into motion, and "Up" is essentially a cartoon about grieving. But the Día de los Muertos movie is likely to tackle death head-on in a way that's unusual for a big-budget animated film.

At the "Brave" screening, Unkrich said he was a week away from making his story pitch to Pixar's "brain trust" -- the group that includes the animation studio's chief creative officer, John Lasseter, and fellow directors such as Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton.

Having also co-directed "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." and "Finding Nemo," Unkrich has developed a strategy for surviving the sometimes ruthlessly honest brain trust sessions, which Pixar filmmakers undertake several times in the life of a movie.

"The trick is, you have to be willing to contribute your own bad idea, so we can all get to the good ones," he said.

There's plenty of time for bad ideas and good ones: Disney and Pixar have not yet set a release date for the Día de los Muertos movie, and their slate is set through 2015.

[Sotiris]

First official image:



Source: http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=98454

[Sky Syndrome]

I can tell this is going to be loads of fun!

[Kyle]

First official image:

At first glance that looked like something that could have been done for the princess and the frog.

[WonderNeverOz]

It looks very mary blair-ish

[RyGuy]

Of all the Pixar films in development, this is the one I look forward to most.

[Disneyphile]

On May 1, Disney filed trademark applications to secure the phrase "Dia de los Muertos" across multiple platforms for an upcoming Pixar film.

The areas they are hoping to secure include “education and entertainment services,” “fruit preserves; fruit-based snack foods,” “toys, games and playthings,” “clothing,” “footwear,” “backpacks,” “clocks and jewelry” and more.

http://www.krwg.org/post/disney-wants-t ... os-muertos

[Elladorine]

On May 1st, The Walt Disney Company filed 33 applications to trademark "Day of the Dead" ahead of the release of a new film. The fact that the company is poised to make a ton of money off a cultural holiday celebrated by people of Mexican and Central American heritage is sitting none to well with a lot of us.

~Source.

[Disney's Divinity]

I was thinking about that, but I didn't want to be the one to say it. Still, in a way, I think it's okay, because it'll likely raise cultural awareness about the holiday among people in the U.S. (and other countries).

For some reason, I've been thinking of this, the dinosaur film, and the brain movie as educational films for some reason. It's hard to imagine actual stories behind these titles/concepts, but I'm looking forward to this one somewhat anyway.

[UmbrellaFish]

I read on msn earlier today that Disney has already decided to rename the film, because of this controversy. I mean, it is kind of lame that Disney tried to trademark a whole holiday.

[SWillie!]

This was such a complete overreaction. Disney was not trying to trademark A HOLIDAY. They were trademarking the name of their film, and the use of the title. Obviously they can't OWN the actual "Day of the Dead". It was never meant to invoke any negativity. I'm glad Disney decided to withdraw it after seeing the reaction for the sake of avoiding any further issues, but I think it was a complete overreaction in the first place.

[UmbrellaFish]

I disagree. It's not even about cultural sensitivity-- it's the fact that Disney shouldn't be able to trademark the name of a holiday to push their products, and to keep others' from cashing in on the same thing.

[SWillie!]

I disagree. It's not even about cultural sensitivity-- it's the fact that Disney shouldn't be able to trademark the name of a holiday to push their products, and to keep others' from cashing in on the same thing.

I could get on board with that - that would be the same if they tried to trademark "Christmas" or "Easter". But that isn't what the majority of the retaliation was about. It was all "don't attack my culture", "how dare they try to own my culture", "this is insulting" etc.

[RyGuy]

I am glad for the uproar, frankly. I'm not Hispanic, and I know enough about trademark law to know that had they succeeded in their trademark applications, they would not have been able to sue people simply for using the phrase "Dia de los muertos" (typically, trademark protection is more about HOW something is used). I am glad because the title was unimaginitive. It'd be like calling The Princess and the Frog, "Mardi Gras."

Unless it is going to be an educational film, surely there will be more to the story/plot than its setting.

[Disney's Divinity]

I could get on board with that - that would be the same if they tried to trademark "Christmas" or "Easter". But that isn't what the majority of the retaliation was about. It was all "don't attack my culture", "how dare they try to own my culture", "this is insulting" etc.

How are any of those things an "incorrect" response? It is a part of their culture that Pixar/Disney is trying to "own," soo...? It didn't bother me so much, but that reaction is completely justified.

[SWillie!]

I could get on board with that - that would be the same if they tried to trademark "Christmas" or "Easter". But that isn't what the majority of the retaliation was about. It was all "don't attack my culture", "how dare they try to own my culture", "this is insulting" etc.

How are any of those things an "incorrect" response? It is a part of their culture that Pixar/Disney is trying to "own," soo...? It didn't bother me so much, but that reaction is completely justified.

But that's what we're talking about - Disney wasn't trying to OWN a part of their culture. They were trying to own the rights to the title of their film. As RyGuy said, other people and companies could still use the phrase. The ONLY time it would have been a problem would be if someone else decided to make a film with that same title. In which case, just like any other film title, Disney ought to be able to protect it.

But RyGuy, I definitely agree that the title itself wasn't the best, so at the end of the day I'm glad they changed it.

[Disney's Divinity]

But that's what we're talking about - Disney wasn't trying to OWN a part of their culture.

I don't agree at all, so there's no need to continue, I guess.

[Elladorine]

It doesn't follow their current movie title pattern anyway.

[SWillie!]

It doesn't follow their current movie title pattern anyway.

Haha just, "Dead."